Resource Hub - Institute for Pandemics

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How’s my Flattening

Real-time insights monitoring and informing Ontario’s response to COVID-19 containing centralized data and collaborative analytics and is community-driven.

COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group

A comprehensive interactive dashboard to visualize Canadian COVID-19 maps and trends.

The ICES dashboard provides an overview of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of individuals tested and confirmed positive for COVID-19 in Ontario. It includes percent positivity for COVID-19 as well as a breakdown of positive cases by FSA. The dashboard is updated on a weekly basis and was created by ICES (formerly the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences).

Blog Posts

Advisory Table – Institute for Pandemics

The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) at the University of Toronto is delighted to announce the establishment of the Advisory Table for the Institute for Pandemics (IfP). The Institute for Pandemics’ aim is to better understand pandemics both before they arise and while they are progressing, strengthen our public health systems and improve how they are governed, and plan how we might best structure […]

Pillars of the Pandemic: Honouring Healthcare Professionals

A new interdisciplinary recognition series created to honour the contributions to public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic by various health and healthcare professionals across Ontario. A selection committee invited to participate by Dean Steini Brown, comprised of a diverse group of individuals with lived expertise and relevant experience within the public health and healthcare systems, will […]

The 501 Blues: How worried should we be about novel SARS-2 variants?

Over the Christmas break news began to circulate of a novel SARS-2 variant, which had appeared in southern England in September 2021 and which has rapidly become the dominant strain of SARS-2 across England. Particularly worrisome is the fact that this new strain of SARS-2 has a mutation known as N501Y, which is known to […]

Journal of a Plague Year

“Pestilence is so common; there have been as many plagues in the world as wars, and yet both plagues and wars find people equally unprepared. The people of our town were no more guilty than anyone else…Why should they have thought about plague, which negates futures, journeys and debate. They considered themselves free, and no […]

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Merck Canada invests in DLSPH’s Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases to support research, education and knowledge translation around vaccine science and help communicate the importance of immunization as a cornerstone of public health.

India is seeing record high COVID-19 cases, and Dr. Prabhat Jha, of the DLSPH, says Canada and the G20 should have done more to ensure more equitable vaccine distribution globally.

In light of vaccine access disparities in hot-spot neighbourhoods, identifying existing barriers and coming up with creative solutions to close these gaps is a must, emphasizes Dr. Ashleigh Tuite.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the DLSPH and co-chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table, stresses the importance of eviction bans in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

In a recently co-authored Lancet article that lays out evidence of COVID-19 being airborne, Dr. David Fisman stresses that this distinction matters in order for people to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves safe.

The status of vaccination among teachers and educators is unknown. Dr. Brenda Coleman, of the DLSPH, says vaccination rates are one of several key factors that will determine if and when schools are safe to reopen.

The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) is delighted to announce the establishment of the Advisory Table for the Institute for Pandemics (IfP) which will allow for a diverse set of thought leaders from a variety of sectors to come together and discuss issues of relevance to help inform the Institute’s impact on the broader health system.

The Advisory Table will play a crucial role in supporting the development of the Institute’s strategic plan, mission and vision. It will also assist in identifying key partnerships with public and private entities to further the Institute’s mandate and establish DLSPH as a hub and enabler for pandemic related research across the University of Toronto. Finally, it would provide strategic direction on the Institute’s inaugural Pandemic Summit, which will focus on Key Lessons Learned from COVID-19 to be held over the course of the next year.

The Advisory Table is comprised of key stakeholders from the public health sector, government, broader industry, caregivers, along with representatives from DLSPH and other Faculties at the University of Toronto.

Advisory Table Members:

Trevor Young, Dean, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Christopher Yip, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Roselle Martino, VP, Public Policy, Toronto Region Board of Trade

Dr. Brian Schwartz, VP, Public Health Ontario

Jeff Latimer, Director General, Strategic Advisor for Health Data, Statistics Canada

Geoff Anderson, Recovery DLSPH

Dr. Eileen De Villa, Medical Officer of Health, Toronto Public Health

David Fisman, Readiness DLSPH

Jennifer Gibson, Resilience DLSPH

Alison Blair, Associate Deputy Minister, Pandemic Response and Recovery / Executive Director, Emergency Health Services, Ontario Ministry of Health (Observer Status)

Sabina Vohra-Miller, Public Supporter

Anna Greenberg, Chief, Strategy and Planning, Ontario Health

Camille Orridge, Community

Amy Coupal, Ontario Caregiver Association

Randy Huffman, Maple Leaf Foods

Claudia Krywiak, Ontario Centre of Innovation

Dr. Barry Pakes, of the DLSPH, reviews the comparability of pandemic case rates and vaccination gaps between the U.S. and Canada.

Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, of the DLSPH, shares her expertise concerning the safety of outdoor activities in the midst of more contagious and virulent COVID variants of concern.

Dr. Laura Rosella, of the DLSPH, comments on Canada’s slow rapid testing rollout, the potential of screening programs to break chains of transmission, as well as the complexities associated with running fully-fledged programs.

Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, infectious disease epidemiologist and mathematical modeller at the DLSPH, discusses case reporting lags in relation to the province’s new case and contact management system.

Watch the Thursday, April 29th, 2021 panel discussion exploring the issue of ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines. It raises awareness about the importance of vaccines to protect people of all ages and took place during the World Health Organization’s World Immunization Week, Pan-American Health Organization’s Vaccination Week in the Americas, and Canada’s National Immunization Awareness Week.

This event, co-hosted by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health’s Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Institute for Pandemics and UNICEF Canada, was an opportunity to hear from leading human rights advocates, public health professionals and researchers, and to contribute to dialogue on this important area.

Migrant rights’ advocates and public health experts, including Dr. Denise Gastaldo of the DLSPH, say the city and the province need to implement a targeted strategy to ensure undocumented immigrants feel safe enough to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Colin Furness, of the DLSPH, keeps spirits high and reminds Ontarians that better days await us this coming summer.

As part of a larger research team, Dr. Xiaolin Wei and Dr. Peizhong Peter Wang, of the DLSPH, aim to assess the prevalence of racial discrimination against Chinese immigrants and the likelihood of experiencing discrimination across social groups. Preliminary data has found that discriminatory experiences by Asian Canadians have more than tripled over the past year.

Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle, associate director of the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health and an assistant professor at the DLSPH, shares findings from a report prepared for Dr. Theresa Tam concerning COVID-19 experiences in Indigenous communities.

Following the announcement of Ontario’s four-week lockdown commencing April 3rd, the half-heartedness of the provinces prevention and mitigation strategies are questioned by Dr. Steini Brown and Dr. Colin Furness.

Dr. David Fisman, of the DLSPH, applauds the CDC’s updated guidelines that state the routine use of disinfectants to fight the coronavirus is mostly unnecessary.

Dr. David Fisman, of the DLSPH, discusses the blood clotting incidents surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine, and how different risk groups should differentially balance disease risk versus vaccine risk.

In this article, which discusses Toronto’s recent vaccination milestone marking 30,000 vaccination bookings in one day, Dr. Anna Banerji of the DLSPH, insists that much more needs to be done in terms of broadening eligibility categories.

Tenzin Butsang, a PhD student at the DLSPH, highlights the relationship between COVID-19 and the criminal justice system, particularly in regards to the impact on Indigenous women, transgender and Two-Spirit people.

Dr. Colin Furness, of the DLSPH, outlines 10 steps in support of more stringent measures to help minimize the third wave.

Dr. David Fisman, of the DLPSH, is a featured guest in this Big Story podcast episode in which he discusses the emergence of variants and their implications.

Dr. Anne-Emanuelle Birn, a professor at the DLSPH, and Jean-Paul Soucy, a PhD student at the DLSPH, discuss the recent uptick in COVID-19 deaths in Brazil and the surrounding factors.

Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, of the DLSPH, discusses the third wave, COVID-19 variants, and vaccination roll-out.

Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee, of the DLSPH, highlights how faith-based leaders can play a strong role in helping community members be confident in becoming vaccinated.

Dr. Akwatu Khenti, assistant professor at the DLSPH and chair of the Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity, discusses the roots of vaccine hesitancy, trust deficits, and what individuals and organizations can do to combat it.

Dr. Kate Mulligan, of the DLSPH, discusses our sense of belonging to the community, the isolating effects of the pandemic, and how loneliness can impact our health.

Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee, of the DLSPH, shares frustrations with how racialized communities have been treated during the pandemic, and makes clear that the race-based data (as well as low-income neighbourhood data) public health authorities stressed the importance of is not being used.

Dr. Brenda Coleman, of the DLSPH, says that getting teachers vaccinated is vital – especially in the wake of variants that are spreading among children more than the original strain of COVID-19.

Download the PowerPoint slides from the March 22, 2021, special online event, Reimagining Aging and Restoring Trust in the Wake of COVID-19.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the DLSPH, explains how loosening public health measures, increased mobility, and growth in new variants all come together to increase the risk of catching the disease.

Dr. Colin Furness, of the DLSPH, who predicted the oncoming third wave, says our actions were “a bit too little and a bit too late to prevent the contagious variants from taking hold.”

Dr. Jeff Brook, of the DLSPH, explains that the pandemic has led to bigger or equal gains in terms of improving air quality, compared to what has been achieved over 10 years of efforts.

Dr. Colin Furness, of the DLSPH, believes schools in Ontario will be forced to shut down once again to slow the surge of COVID-19 variant cases in the province following a recent release of modelling data.

Dr. Ashleigh Tuite and Dr. David Fisman, of the DLSPH, advise against continuing to ease restrictions, pointing to the recent resurgence of cases as the start of a third wave.

The science table of experts that has been advising Ford proclaimed a third wave of COVID-19 has begun. Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the DLSPH and head of this science table, warns that the risk of catching Covid-19 has increased.

Dr. Kate Mulligan, of the DLSPH, says she has long advocated for social connection as a crucial component of people’s mental health and overall wellbeing – this combat is especially important in the face of the isolating effects of the pandemic.

In response to Moderna’s announcement that they will include children as part of their clinical vaccine trials, Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious disease specialist at the DLSPH and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, outlines why vaccinating children is a crucial step to slowing COVID-19 spread.

In this Twitter thread, Dr. David Fisman reviews what we as Canadians have gained through public health preventive measures over the past year, and presents counterfactual comparisons to the UK, US, and Brazil.

Watch the March 22, 2021, DLSPH special online event Reimagining Aging and Restoring Trust in the Wake of COVID-19, brought to you by the Boehm Lectures on Public Health and Healthcare in collaboration with the Institute for Pandemics. Watch the panel discuss topics and themes that are focused on aging and health, the standards and models of care as we age, healthcare worker burnout, the roles of families and caregivers, and many other issues and failures faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Roberta Timothy, a scientist and researcher at the DLSPH, underlines how science has been historically racist, ongoing anti-Black racism, and how this continues to be seen in response to the current pandemic.

Dr. Kate Mulligan, of the DLSPH, highlights the importance of around-the-clock access to vaccination clinics.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the DLSPH, is quoted stressing the importance of protecting the gains we have made in the face of emerging variants.

Dr. Brenda Coleman, of the DLSPH and Sinai Health, will be leading a study to determine how many education workers have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and measure pandemic-related mental health issues.

Syed, I. U.
(2021)

Dr. Akwatu Khenti and Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee review how outbreaks and hospitalizations exist in a nexus of social inequities, systemic racism and neighborhood vulnerabilities.

Dr. Anna Banerji discusses the need for a timely vaccine rollout, and the likelihood of a third wave.

In this Twitter thread, Dr. Ashleigh Tuite recommends a proactive response to COVID-19 variants and warns against viewing the vaccine as an ‘exit strategy.’

In this Twitter thread, Dr. David Fisman highlights the harmfulness of disinformation and the key role that clear and accurate communication plays in effective pandemic responses.

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TVO.org speaks with the University of Toronto professor about school reopening, vaccination — and what the province can do to contain COVID-19 in the coming months.

The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table is a group of scientific experts and health system leaders who evaluate and report on emerging evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform Ontario’s response. This resource features “What Ontario can learn from Israel’s successful COVID-19 vaccine campaign”.

In this Twitter thread, Dr. David Fisman discusses why initial vaccine prioritization should focus on people most likely to experience adverse outcomes.

In this Twitter thread, Dr. Issac Bogoch discusses “what is needed to avoid undoing out collective efforts & sacrifices as we reopen? And how do we account for more transmissible variants?”

The Black Health Matters Project led by Dr. Roberta Timothy is conducting research on how COVID-19 has impacted African/Black individuals and communities, front line health care workers and essential service workers and how systemic/structural violence are barriers to effective prevention, treatment and management of COVID-19 in the African/Black population.

Sabina Vohra-Miller and DLSPH Dean Adalsteinn Brown discuss the largely invisible storm of anti-science COVID-19 misinformation that is powering isolation, fear and mistrust.

Direct and indirect age standardization my be used to gain insights into the between-country variation in the size and severity of COVID-19 epidemics. Use this tool to generate comparisons.

Use the following tool to estimate the number of imported cases from the US into Ontario by modifying the conditions in the left-hand pane.

Dr. Arjumand Siddiqi discusses what looking at disaggregated data can tell us about how the COVID-19 pandemic is having an unequal impact across the province.

Dr. David Fisman, of DLSPH, in CTV News on the importance of clear communication in controlling a pandemic.

Dr. Alison Thompson, of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and Dr. Anna Banerji, of the DLSPH, in CBC News on prioritization of populations for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Janet Smylie, of the DLSPH, and Dr. Lisa Richardson, of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, discuss anti-Indigenous discrimination in the medical system.

Dr. Peter Jüni, of the DLSPH, answers questions about COVID-19 on CBC’s Ontario Today.

Dr. Onye Nnorom, of the DLSPH, discusses her study on the experiences of Black physicians.

Dr. Jeff Kwong, of the DLSPH, urges patience following Pfizer vaccine update.

Dr. James Scott, of the DLSPH, tests masks for market place investigation.

Dr. Ross Upshur, of the DLSPH, discusses vaccine development.

Ontario’s government has officially announced its COVID-19 vaccine taskforce.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, Dean of the DLSPH, discusses projection models collaboration with Dr. Ashleigh Tuite of DLSPH, Dr. Colin Furness of IHPME and iSchool, Dr. Andrew Morris, and Dr. Isaac Bogoch of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

Watch the November 24, 2020, inaugural lecture of the Institute for Pandemics Lecture Series on Health Equity. Focused on racial health inequities in COVID-19 outcomes and highlighting the empirical evidence that has been accumulated thus far, this event explored how advocates and policymakers are taking up the evidence in real-time. The expert panel explored the data and other indicators and examined its implications for using policy and other strategies to dismantle structural, systemic racism.

Additional resources from Dr. Nancy Krieger, the keynote speaker from the Institute for Pandemics lecture, Race, Racism and COVID-19.

This guide is a collection of data, map and visualization resources and tutorials related to COVID-19. The guide is a living document and will be updated as more resources and tutorials become available.

This resource provides updates on the status of COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in the City of Toronto.

A comprehensive interactive dashboard to visualize Canadian COVID-19 maps and trends.

Real-time insights monitoring and informing Ontario’s response to COVID-19 containing centralized data and collaborative analytics and is community-driven.

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